When a pipe bursts in a Lafayette home, shut off the main valve and keep away from wet electrical outlets. A plumber can find the break, replace the damaged pipe and check the line from the meter pit to the house. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Lafayette.
Lafayette runs its own city water utility, drawing from Baseline, Waneka and Goose Haven reservoirs. The meter pit is the dividing line here: the City owns the service line from the main to the meter pit, and the homeowner owns everything from the meter pit to the house. A city that grew out of coal mining and farming, Lafayette now mixes an Old Town core with neighborhoods built over the last several decades.
What to do right now
- Close the main shutoff, usually where the water line enters the basement or crawl space.
- Switch off breakers for any outlets, lights or appliances that are wet.
- Open a cold tap on the lowest level to drain the system.
- Turn off an electric water heater, or set a gas heater to pilot.
- If you smell gas, leave the house and call 911 and your gas utility from outside.
- For a break near the meter pit or street after hours or on a weekend, call Boulder County Dispatch at 303-441-4444, as the city directs; on weekdays, Public Works is at 303-661-1277.
Reading the symptoms
| Symptom | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Water dripping from a ceiling the day after a deep freeze | A frozen line split and thawed |
| Wet ground between the meter pit and house | Leak on the homeowner's service line |
| Water near the meter pit or in the street | Possible city-side leak; call the city |
| One faucet dead, others working | That branch is frozen |
| Meter moving with nothing running | Hidden leak past the meter |
Cost factors
- Access through drywall, ceilings or tile
- Pipe material and the fittings to match it
- How many cracks the freeze caused
- Excavation for a leak on the line from the meter pit to the house
- Permits through the City of Lafayette Building Division, when the work calls for one
- Time of day or week
Lafayette keeps a service line inventory covering both the city and customer portions and notifies owners if a lead or galvanized line needs replacement. If your yard line has to be dug up anyway, that inventory is worth checking first, and questions can go to 303-661-1277. Older Old Town houses with mixed pipe deserve a closer look around any break.
Burst Pipe Repair questions in Lafayette
Who pays to fix a leak between the meter pit and the house?
Water is bubbling up near the street or meter. Who do I call?
What records help with an insurance claim?
Should I open the faucets after shutting off the main?
More plumbing services in Lafayette
Burst Pipe Repair nearby
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